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Newly Recovered Studio Cut of Sex Pistols' Controversial 'Belsen Was A Gas' Available to Stream -

Newly Recovered Studio Cut of Sex Pistols' 'Belsen Was A
Gas' Available to Stream -

The Sex Pistols will be celebrating the 35th
anniversary of seminal punk album 'Never Mind the Bollox,
Here's The Sex Pistols' with a super deluxe box-set
scheduled for a Sept.24th release date.

The box-set will include audio of original master tapes, exclusive
footage, rare interviews, band pictures and punk artefacts from the
band's explosively short lived career. And with the release date
looming the band have now made a studio version of their
controversial live track 'Belsen Was A Gas' available to
stream in order to promote their upcoming anniversary.

The track was written by Sid Vicious before he
joined the band and featured heavily in their stage set towards the
end of the career. Prior to the newly recovered demo only live
versions, plus a studio take with Ronnie Biggs, have been
available.

'Belsen Was A Gas' was written about Nazi Concentration
in Bergen-Belsen that was liberated by British troops in 1945 and,
in true Pistols fashion, was designed to with the intention to
provoke.

The demo was recorded at the Pistols infamous Denmark Street
rehearsal room by their soundman John 'Boogie' Tiberi on a TEAC
four-track.

"John decided to work on 'Belsen' with Sid, rearranging the
lyrics while Steve and Paul worked on the track and I wired up
Denmark Street to put it down to a 4-track," remembers John Tiberi.
"It really shouldn't have to be said but that's Sid on bass. It was
very clumsy, no monitors, sound insulation was non-existent. I
think they all enjoyed doing it outside of the Wessex environment,
which had by then become quite oppressive. When I played it to
(Pistols producer) Chris Thomas he probably thought I was barmy and
couldn't understand the reverb vocal, but that's the way John
wanted it. I thought it was good as a kind of sketch
idea."

Producers of the box set say:

"The controversial subject matter and dark humour of the song
was designed to upset and provok, and is certainly an
interesting footnote to the Sex Pistols' finite catalogue of
songs."

'Belsen Was A Gas' feat. Johnny Rotten

Pre order your copy of one of the most influential albums in
British music history,
here.